The guy who put this video together did a great job of combining all the clips he could find of U2 doing this song dating back to the early 90's.

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Another Musician Dead

"James Owen Sullivan, a drummer and backup vocalist for the Southern California band Avenged Sevenfold, was found dead at his home on Monday, authorities have confirmed"

Full story here and here.

This hits home for me because this is one of my son's favorite bands.  As some of you know, my son is currently 5 months clean from heroin addiction.  He's still in rehab.  The challenge of staying clean out in the real world has not hit him yet.  How will he take this news?  This was the first (only?) band he's ever seen in concert.  They are a local band from our area which somehow makes it feel more personal.

DAMN IT!  :(

Its kind of ridiculous that the media calls it "natural causes".  He was 28 frigging years old.  It is not natural to just DIE when your 28, even if there are no drugs involved (which I hope there aren't but statistically speaking....its likely).

My heart goes out to this young man's family, bandmates, friends, and fans.   I will add him to my list on Gone But Not Forgotten after I shed a tear and listen to some Avenge Sevenfold in his honor while praying that my son stay's on the right path.




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Merry Christmas, Baby!!! You sure do treat me nice...

We all have our favorite Christmas song/video - this is mine!

"I just want to kiss you under the mistletoe!"

Have a Joy and Peace-filled Holliday Everyone!

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In Memory of Steve

Steve "Red" Thompson

12/21/56 - 12/21/77

Red, every time I hear this song, for the last 32 years and forever, I think of you.

Still miss you.

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Jackson Browne Interview

Details magazine has an excellent interview with Jackson Browne.  Jeff Gordinier asked some pointed questions, and as always, Jackson shared openly. 

He talks about music, politics, and drugs (I have posted an excerpt on his thoughts on his friend Warren Zevon and Lowell George related to their drug use on my blog  Recovery Happens).

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Make it Or Break it Members of the Band...

My sister and I got in a discussion about bands that don't survive if one of the key members leaves (for whatever reason).

Some bands try to keep going, others don't.  Typically the lead vocalist carries the make it or break it factor, but not always.  Please feel free to add to this list, disagree or admit that I am right about all of these :)  Obviously some of these bands are still together so this is just speculation.

- The Doors - obviously Jim Morrison was The Doors

- Heart with either Ann or Nancy missing would never be the same.

- The Rolling Stones without Mick?  Hmmmm, no.

- The Who - these guys thought they could go on without Keith, then without Keith or John.  I think they should have quit while they were ahead.  Could they survive without Roger or Pete?  No.

- Led Zeppelin - they honored the fact that Zeppelin was all four of them, so with class and respect they laid the band to rest when John died.  Could it have survived without him?  Yes, but it never would have been as good.

-AC/DC is an example of a band that still did well after losing the lead vocalist, Bon Scott.  Brian Johnson was a great replacement.  But would they have survived without Angus?

-Pink Floyd.  I don't even know what to say about this complicated band, but they are one of my favorites.

-The Pretenders minus Chrissie Hynde = some talented musicians looking for a  new job.

- Kiss without Gene Simmons - eh, I don't really care.

- INXS was nothing, without Michael. Nothing.

- How about the Beatles?  I don't think they would have got by without John or Paul, but if those two stuck together I think Ringo or George could have been replaced.  Don't get me wrong, I love Ringo and George, and I'm glad that didn't happen.

- Aerosmith without Steven Tyler is a no go.  But they should have hung it up years ago.

- Journey tried it without Steve Perry, but in my opinion failed.

- Ok what about Rush?  I don't think they could get by if they replaced any one of them.

- Van Halen.  This is the only band I can think of that actually maintained, or possibly surpassed, their level of success after losing a very prominent lead vocalist.  Way to go Sammy!    (Personally I have to admit, I liked the DLR era better).  But then again, Van Halen is all about Eddie, and it should be.

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Daily Rock and Roll History Lesson

I stop by here for my daily rock history, so much more interesting and entertaining to hear it from Joe

Happy Birthday to Dickie B. and Happy Knight's Day to Mickie J.  :)





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We Miss You, John

I wasn't going to share my "where I was when I heard the news" today because its a very personal memory that contains a lot of emotion. Its eerie. Here is the short version:

I was with a friend who had just completed a charcoal portrait of Lennon. He was showing it to me when the news came on the TV that John had been shot.

There are more details but too painful to discuss. Obviously it was traumatic and shocking.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

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A Reminder of Why I Like David Bowie

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Here's a copy of a letter he wrote to his first American fan, way back in 1967, here is the link its from Music News and Features Revival, easier to read from there.

(I will reveal the correct answers to the lyrics from yesterday later this week, but I know you people will come up with them all on your own before then :)
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How Well Do You Know Lyrics?

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Okay, I haven't done this in a while.  Do you know the song each of these lyrics come from?  Key word:  "know".  Anyone can look them up on Google!  If you need a hint or two let me know....


1.  And we don't need the ladies
Cryin' 'cause the story's sad

2.  But he can't be a man cause
He doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as mine

3.  You can call me Joe
Buy me a drink and shake my hand

4.  I've got to keep on chasin' that dream, though I may never find it
I'm always just behind it.

5.  Cause I get down on my knees, Oh, I pray that love won't die
And if I always try to please, I don't know the reason why, yeah

6.  Feeling all alone and without a friend you know you feel like dying

7.  How his naked ears were tortured by the sirens sweetly singing,
For the sparkling waves are calling you to kiss their white laced lips.

8.  When you see a hand that's held out toward you,
Give it some love, some day it may be you.

9.  Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll 'lotta soul

10.  But someone among them had the skill of deceit
And raised the hand that would open the road to Hell
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Bruce Springsteen - excellent interview in Billboard

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Here it is, the Billboard  interview with Bruce.  Blogness on the Edge of Town has some excerpts from the article, so if your not huge fan and don't intend to read the entire article, you can check out his blog.

Here is one thing that stood out to me, and its so TRUE, I actually feel sorry for the people born into today's world of music where you buy a CD and play a few good songs off it and ignore the rest:

We had done so many shows and were going to come back around one more time, so we were like, “OK, what can we do that we haven’t done? Let’s try to play some of the albums.” There were some people who were starting to do it, it sounded like a good idea, and my audience fundamentally experienced all my music in album form. People took “Born To Run” home and played it start to finish 100 times; they didn’t slip on a cut in the middle. And we made albums — we took a long time, and we built them to last. The idea is, “There’s no stinkers on this thing.”

The last questions of the interview with an answer that sums up what sets Bruce apart from so many other artists:

What haven't you done that you'd still like to do?

Well, I'm about to do it in about an hour from now. I'm looking forward to that. It's all in the doing right now. What I want to do is what I'm doing, except I want to do it a little better tonight than I did last night. I want to write some better songs to mine and my audience's life today. We've made records over the past 10 years that have found as integral a place in my fans' lives as any the records from my past days. They talk about who you are, who I am, where we are, where we live, and what we're about. I'm just looking forward to going out there in an hour and looking into those faces like I've done over the past 35 years.

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And the Winner of the Ray Davies CD is.....

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Slickriptide! 

Please email me your address at bll127925@yahoo.com

Congrats!  You'll love it

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Drawing for Ray Davies Music will be Tomorrow!

See this link below and leave your name in the comments if you are interested.